National Press Festival opens in Hanoi

Vietnam News Agency's booth at the National Press Festival. 

The National Press Festival kicked off at the Hanoi Museum in Tu Liem district, Hanoi, on March 16 under the theme of “Vietnamese press accompanies the nation in renewal.”  

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong sent a flower basket to the event. 

Addressing the opening ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said with larger scale and diverse, attractive activities, this year’s event reflects the development of the domestic press and its contributions to the nation’s completion of socio-economic targets in 2017, as well as to building the Party and the Government, ensuring political security, and promoting the land and people of Vietnam to the world. 

The official expressed his belief that in 2018, the press will make more reforms and continue to accompany the nation in development. 

Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists’ Association (VJA) Thuan Huu, who is also head of the steering board of the festival, said the event attracts 55 units from the VJA and its branches, journalism training institutes, and companies specialising in press equipment. 

A highlight at the festival is the four thematic displays -  “The press with Party building,” “The press with National Assembly and voters,” “The press with the building of an integrated, development-facilitating and action-oriented Government,” and “Ethics of journalists.”

The festival also features a forum on the press’s role in Government building, along with numerous exchanges, seminars, photo and painting exhibitions, and art performances. 

On this occasion, the organisation board will grant awards to outstanding press research works for the first time, besides traditional prizes. 

The festival is jointly held by the VJA, the Hanoi People’s Committee, the CPV Central Committee’s Information and Education Commission, the Ministry of Information and Communications, and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. 

The opening ceremony was broadcast live on Vietnam Television and Radio The Voice of Vietnam.

Seminar shares int’l experience in compiling textbooks

The Vietnam Education Publishing House convened a workshop in Hanoi on March 16, seeking to gather international experience in compiling textbooks promoting learners’ ability. 

The three-day event aims to improve awareness of modern approaches to teaching theory, and theoretical basis for developing textbooks which will not only impart knowledge to students but also develop their capacity, skills and personality.

Experts from Germany’s Potsdam University and Finland’s Timepere University shared issues related to curricula for promoting learners’ ability, focusing on the concept and nature of ability development in education, the role of textbooks in promoting ability of learners; basic indicators for analysing and assessing ability-developing textbooks. 

They also introduced the process for compiling textbooks of this kind, from forming ideas, drafting outlines, compiling manuscripts, to revision and finalization works before printing. 

A similar workshop will be organised in Ho Chi Minh City from March 20-22. 

This is part of the preparation of the Vietnam Education Publishing House for implementing its task to compile new textbooks, serving the general education reform, towards promoting ability and virtue of learners.

Quang Binh moves to prevent illegal, unreported fishing

The central province of Quang Binh on March 16 launched a plan on inspecting fisheries activities to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as guided by the European Commission (EC). 

In September 2017, the EC issued a yellow card warning Vietnam for failing to progress in fighting IUU fishing. The EC also proposed nine recommendations that Vietnam should implement. The "yellow card" is followed by a "green card" if the problem is resolved or a "red card" if it isn’t. A “red card” can lead to a trade ban on fishery products.

The EU will assess Vietnam’s efforts to fight IUU fishing in April.

Quang Binh’s plan aims to trace the origin of seafood products towards preventing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. 

Accordingly, all fishing vessels will be subject to paper examination upon leaving wharves, especially ones suspected of fishing in foreign waters and docking in Gianh and Nhat Le river ports. 

At least 20 percent of tuna output and 5 percent of seafood products ashore will undergo inspections as recommended by the EC. 

Apart from inspecting and preventing violations at sea, the plan also targets vessels at high risk of illegal fishing, using explosives and toxics, and potentially damage fishermen’ lives and assets. 

Ho Dang Chien, Chairman of the Duc Trach communal People’s Committee, Bo Trach district, said the locality is home to the largest number of offshore fishing vessels so it is necessary to raise public awareness of the value of fishery resources for export to improve exploitation efficiency. 

Permanent Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Xuan Quang pledged to attach importance to signing agreements with fishermen to strictly deal with violations, closely monitoring fishing vehicles and fishermen’s activities. 

The province will also promptly establish a representative office to inspect and monitor fisheries activities, strengthen inspection in river mouths, provide optimal support for fishermen and launch a fishery database.

Victims of Son My Massacre remembered

As many as 504 victims of a bloody massacre by US troops 50 years ago were commemorated at a ceremony held at the Son My relic site in Tinh Khe commune, Quang Ngai city, the central province of Quang Ngai, on March 16.

The event was attended by former President Truong Tan Sang, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh, Chief Judge of the Supreme People’s Court Nguyen Hoa Binh, foreign visitors, US veterans, local people and domestic and international reporters.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Dang Ngoc Dung said that the killings that occurred on March 16, 1968 prompted widespread outrage around the world.

Son My residents are now joining hands to build their hometown and develop the locality’s development in the economy, culture and society, he added.

On the occasion, the organising board handed over a decision to set up My Lai peace fund and announced a 41 hectare My Lai Peace Commemorative Park project which is invested at 348 billion VND (15.3 million USD).

The park is also a tourism attraction, making contributions to developing tourism in Quang Ngai province.

Earlier, a house of worship dedicated to 504 civilians killed in the massacre was inaugurated in the central province of Quang Ngai on March 15. Covering an area of 200 sq.m in Son My relic site in Tinh Khe commune, the house was built at a cost of 5.5 billion VND (241,500 USD). 

Hanoi expands colorectal cancer screenings

The Health Department of Hanoi is working with the municipal People’s Committee to expand colorectal cancer screenings to many localities of the city.

The programme has been launched in 10 wards and districts of the capital city and provided free screenings for more than 122,670 people. About 6,650 people, representing 5.4 percent, were diagnosed with cancer.

In addition, 275 patients received endoscopic surgery and counselling.

Nearly 350 people among over 5,000 people joining the programme in Tay Ho district were diagnosed with colorectal cancer, accounting for over six percent, said doctor Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao of Thu Cuc General Hospital.

The screening campaign is expected to be carried out in other districts and wards such as Hoan Kiem, Bac Tu Liem, Dong Anh, Thanh Xuan, Hoai Duc, Dan Phuong, Thach That and Quoc Oai in March.

Medical experts said the city needs to step up public awareness about cancer screening as local people have not been fully aware of its role. The Health Department is also looking for sponsors for the screening of breast cancer and other diseases.

Dak Lak’s aims for poverty rate below 5 percent in 2020

The rate of poor households in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak is expected to drop below 5 percent in 2020 under the locality’s master plan on socio-economic development to 2020 with a vision towards 2030. 

Adjustments and supplements to the master plan have been recently approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. 

The poverty rate is hoped to reduce by 1-2 percent each year from now to 2030 in line with present poverty standards. 

Under the plan, Dak Lak’s annual gross regional domestic product (GRDP) during 2016-2020 is hoped to grow by 8.5-9 percent. 

The province aims to raise its GRDP per capita to 60-60.5 million VND (2,640-2,860 USD) in 2020 and 217-220 million VND (9,548-9,680 USD) in 2030. 

The number of labourers working in the farming sector is expected to make up only 55 percent of the province’s total labourers in 2020 and 38 percent in 2030. The unemployment rate in urban areas is projected at 2.5-2.7 percent for 2016-2020, and 2.2-2.5 percent for 2021-2030. 

The agro-forestry-fishery sector is set to account for 38.5-39.5 percent of the province’s total GRDP in 2020 and 19-20 percent in 2030, with annual average growth rate at 4.5-5 percent in 2016-2020 and 4-4.5 percent in 2021-2030. 

Husbandry will be prioritised to create breakthroughs in agricultural development. 

In industry, Dak Lak will focus on industrial production using modern, environmentally friendly technologies, along with the support industry to serve agriculture. 

The province will utilise its localities’ advantages and develop spearhead industries with high competitiveness and high added value, serving both domestic and foreign markets. 

Industrial production is expected to grow by 10-11 percent annually during 2016-2020, hitting 65-66 trillion VND (2.86 billion-2.9 billion USD) in 2020, and 12-13 percent in 2021-2020, according to the plan. 

Dak Lak will specialise in exploiting and processing farm produce, yarn, construction materials, manufacturing mechanics, electricity, water and support industry.

The service sector is also projected to expand by 11-12 percent in 2016-2020 and 12-12.5 percent in 2021-2030, making up 39-40 percent of the total GRDP in 2020 and 34-35 percent in 2030.

The plan also set the average growth rate of retail sales and service revenue at 18.5 percent annually between 2016-2020 and 17 percent in 2021-2030. 

The province will improve the quality of financial, banking, transport, post, telecommunications and consultation services, and scientific-technological transfer. 

It aims to welcome more than 1.1 million visitors by 2020, including 103,000 foreigners, and more than 2.8 million in 2030, including 256,000 foreigners. 

The local tourism sector is expected to expand by 15.05 percent in 2016-2020, and 16.5 percent in 2021-2030.

Veteran Huế singer passes away

Minh Mẫn, a prominent artist of ca Huế singing, passed away at her home in Huế City on Tuesday evening, aged 93.

Nguyễn Văn Lợi, a loyal fan of this style of traditional music, was saddened that audiences will no longer have the chance to listen to the best vocalist of the singing form.

Poet Võ Quê, who chairs a club for ca Huế in the city, said Mẫn’s passing was a loss to the art form.

Mẫn, whose real name is Nguyễn Thị Mẫn, was born in an outlying village in Phong Điền District before she became a vendor as a teenager. When she was 15, Mẫn got the chance to sing ca Huế thanks to her sense of rhythm and excellent vocals.

She rose to fame two years later as one of the best vocalists of the singing style. Working with the art form for 70 years, Mẫn performed as well as conducted training and made adjustments for studies and documentaries on ca Huế.

The singing community considered Mẫn a “live treasure”.

She was awarded the title of outstanding artist by the State President in 2016.

Ca Huế is a variation of Huế royal court music and is considered a type of chamber music that originated from performances in the royal and mandarin houses during the imperial era. The lyrics are sometimes similar to Huế folk songs.

The art form is said to bear similar significance to Vietnamese traditional music such as đờn ca tài tử (Southern folk music) and ca trù (ceremonial singing performed in the north). The music performances are done on traditional Vietnamese musical instruments, when the musicians and vocalists all wear the national dress, áo dài.

Devotion Music Awards to be announced

A gala night to honour the best musicians and their efforts contributions to the Vietnamese music industry will be held at Cultural Friendship Palace in Hà Nội on March 22.

The night is a part of the Devotion Music Awards ceremony which is held annually by Thể Thao Văn Hóa (Sport & Culture) daily. Popular MC Lại Văn Sâm and Miss Áo Dài Việt Nam 2014 Lan Khuê will take the stage during the gala and theatre director Hoàng Trọng Thanh will organise the ceremony.

"The theme this year is Star of Fame," said Thanh. "The theme will convey a message to artists who want a successful career that if they put their best efforts into creativity they will be a star ". This is the second time the award organisers have hired Thanh to run the ceremony.

The gala will dazzle fans with performances by artists including singers Thanh Lam, Đăng Dương, Mỹ Tâm and Dương Hoàng Yến. A musical troupe led by emerging director Nguyễn Phi Phi Anh will perform Star of Happiness, which includes songs about love, life and music nominated for awards this year.

"The musical performances in the award ceremony will tell a long story about music, singers and their efforts in art," said musician Dương Cầm, the ceremony’s music director. "I think the story will feature stars from young singers to veterans."

Dương Cầm is a strong contender in the Producer of the Year and Musician of the Year categories. The musician has been the music director for about 10 music shows and television music shows. He also composed two songs entitled Duyên (Charm) and Lũ Đêm (Night Flood).

The annual Devotion Music Awards began in 2004 to promote Vietnamese music and honour artists who have made significant contributions to the industry. A ballot was held yesterday in Hà Nội and HCM City by about 100 reporters to choose the winners in nine categories, including producer of the year, song of the year, music video of the year, new artist of the year, album of the year, live show of the year, music series of the year, musician of the year and singer of the year.

Japan helps VN firms improve workplace satisfaction

Experts from the Japan Productivity Centre and the Vietnam National Productivity Institute have over the past two years supported 12 companies in the north to improve their employee satisfaction and workplace environment to increase productivity.

This is part of the project for “Improvement of employee satisfaction and work environment”, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) from May 2016 to April 2018.

The project, also known as the WISE Project, has helped companies identify factors that hinder their productivity and develop solutions to common industry problems.

Almost all the Vietnamese companies, especially small-scale enterprises, are considered to be seriously lacking in practical consulting skills and human resources that could improve business and workers’ welfare.

Under the project, companies are instructed to apply the 5S - a workplace organisation method that uses a list of five Japanese words: seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu, and shitsuke. Their translations from Japanese are “sort”, “set in order”, “shine”, “standardise” and “sustain”, respectively.

The list describes how to organise a work space for efficiency and effectiveness by identifying and storing the items used, maintaining the area and items and sustaining the new order. The decision-making process usually comes from a dialogue on standardisation, which builds an understanding among employees of how to work.

Do Van Dung, deputy director of Yamaguchi Vietnam, major producer of auxiliary mechanic, lab equipment and factory supplies, said before joining the WISE Project, the flow of product lines in the company was not effective.

He said the company had no standard, no specific regulations, no training policy, no check-sheet for machine maintenance and no periodic maintenance plan.

He also admitted that previously, communication to staff at the company was not good.

But this changed with the WISE Project, Dung said.

The company restructured and redesigned the flow of products (for example, raw material, completed product, quality test) so that distances between the stages of production were narrowed, helping save time and labour, and increasing connectivity.

Yamaguchi worker Ha Thi Linh said after learning about and practising the 5S method, workers put office equipment in an orderly manner and the work place became cleaner and brighter.

Tran Dinh Trung, a worker of ALS Cargo Terminal at Aviation Logistic, another participant in the WISE Project, said there were visible changes after the project’s implementation. With a clean working environment, everything is easier to find, thanks to 5S, he said.

“For build-up work, I do not have to wait for a forklift or for material as much as before. Jobs are assigned clearly. This has helped increase productivity,” Trung said.

Le Thi Thu Huong, Administrative and Human Resources Director at ALS, said one of the causes of Vietnam’s low productivity was that Vietnamese workers carried out tasks quickly but not carefully and meticulously.

Other causes included unreasonable work organisation, lack of funding for updated technology and a training system relying heavily on theory instead of practical skills.

Once the problems were solved, productivity increased, which also led to better income for employees, Huong said, adding if the employees were satisfied with the working environment and income, they would be with the company for further growth.

Kobayashi Ryutaro, a senior representative of JICA Vietnam Office, said: “Improvement in the work environment and increasing labour satisfaction are very important for Vietnamese enterprises, which are facing limitations in terms of capital, technology and human resources. I do believe that in near future, Vietnamese enterprises will receive high-quality support and consultation by ‘made-in-Vietnam’ experts.”

FAO helps Asia-Pacific’s agriculture adapt to climate change

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations is cooperating with its member states in the Asia-Pacific region as well as relevant social organisations to improve the agriculture sector’s adaptation to climate change and reduce its reception of impacts of the weather phenomenon.

The move is part of the activities to carry out the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (Sendai Framework), heard a regional conference held in Hanoi on March 15.

The framework outlines four priorities for actions to be taken to prevent new and reduce existing disaster risks, including understanding disaster risks, strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risks, investing in disaster reduction for resilience and enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response.

The management of disaster risks should be included in all development sectors as it is crucial to reduce losses caused by natural disasters, respond to climate change and realise the Sustainable Development Goals.

Kundhavi Kadiresan, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, said that 2.5 billion people in the world are living on agriculture development and agricultural losses will threaten global efforts in alleviating poverty.

FAO is joining hands with the governments to enhance capacity of accessing weather forecast information as well as warn small-scale farming households so that the farmers can adjust their agricultural activities ahead of the natural calamities, she noted.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh highlighted that agricultural development, especially the production of grains, has helped Vietnam stand firm in the face of regional and global economic recession, thus technical measures are necessary to protect the agriculture from climate change.

Other participants at the event shared experience in reducing risks and improving capacity to response to climate change. Also, they identified priorities to implement the Sendai Framework.

Results of the conference will be reported to the 34th FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific in Fiji in April and the conference on the implementation of Sendai Framework to be held in Mongolia in July.

According to FAO 2017 report on the impacts of disasters on agriculture and food security, natural disasters caused economic damage worth 96 billion USD in cultivation and animal breeding in developing countries.

Vietjet becomes Miss Vietnam 2018’s official transportation sponsor

Vietjet is the official air transportation sponsor of Miss Vietnam 2018, accompanying the event for the fourth consecutive year.

This is a milestone in the 30th anniversary of Miss Vietnam’s journey spread through three regions North – Central – South. 

Accordingly, all the contestants and organisers will fly with Vietjet. The new Miss Vietnam will be invited to Vietjet’s in-flight events and have one-year free of charge flying with the airline. 

Apart from offering the air travelling changes to millions of passengers with reasonable prices, Vietjet accompanies with meaningful social, cultural, sport and entertaining activities, including the International Hot Air Balloon Festival, the Night of Composer Trinh Cong Son’s memorial, Miss Universe, The Face, Supporting in the exam season, Da Lat Flower Festival etc. 

It also continues offering many ticket promotions as well as companions with the practical activities, brings more and more benefits to its customers.  

Aiming to “Consumer Airline”, Vietjet is continually opening new routes, adding more aircraft, investing in modern technology and offering more added-on products and services to serve all demands of customers. 

Established in 2007, Vietjet is a pioneering airline that is loved by many for its exciting promotional and entertainment programmes, especially during the festive season. 

It is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) with the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certificate. The airline’s operation safety and technical reliability rates have always been among the highest in Asia Pacific region with a modern and well-furbished fleet and amazing diverse and friendly services. 

Father and Son on screen in Uruguay

The Vietnamese movie Cha Cong Con (Father and Son) was screened in Uruguay on March 14 as part of cultural activities in celebration of International Francophonie Day.

The film screening was organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Argentina and Uruguay.

At the event, representatives from the Vietnamese embassy underlined the human values of the film which tells story of a little boy named Ca who dreams of touching the clouds and of visiting fairytale lands. However, he suffers from an incurable disease and his blind father whisks him away to go to see everything he wishes before his death.

Attendees at the event were impressed by the film, many of whom expressed their wish to visit Vietnam to see the country.

The Francophonie Week, taking place in Montevideo and other cities in Uruguay from March 6-22, is jointly held by embassies and representatives of Francophonie member states in the nation.

The film screening is part of activities to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Vietnam-Uruguay diplomatic ties (August 11, 1993-2018).

Fight against corruption, squander ineffectual: HCM City leader

HCM City Party Secretary Nguyễn Thiện Nhân has expressed dissatisfaction with the efforts to combat corruption and squander last year.

He told a meeting on Wednesday to review the efforts to prevent and uncover corruption and wastage: “During the whole year related authorities found only one case of violation at the medical examination centre and another at the Tân Thuận Industrial Park. The efforts must be improved.”

He instructed authorities to clearly define bribery and squander and send to the Party Committee by next quarter.

“From now on, related authorities must report every quarter on the fight against and prevention of graft and waste to the city Party Committee and apprise the media.

“This year city authorities should focus on issuing Decision 1374 on how to proceed with information about individuals and groups who violate the law and Party regulations.”

Last year the city prosecuted graft cases involving a total of VNĐ42 billion (US$1.85 million), but only 4 per cent of the amount has been recovered by the city.

“Justice authorities must recover [stolen public assets] for the treasury. We cannot fight bribery and squander if we do not place any responsibility on related authorities.”

Last year the city had undertaken several important activities but achieved very little from them, he said.

The first was listing the assets of 37,000 senior government staff, but no one had been found falsifying information.

Nhân said: “Thousands of complaints and denunciations were sent by the public last year, but related authorities did not find any evidence of bribery or squander. That is impossible.

“The city also set up 43 task forces to review and assess the responsibility of 63 chiefs of various departments, industries and companies, but no violation was found.”

Tay Ninh expands Lo Go-Xa Mat national park

The southern province of Tay Ninh is  planning to merge Chang Riec cultural-historic forest with Lo Go-Xa Mat national park. (Photo: baotayninh.vn)

Tay Ninh (VNA) – The southern province of Tay Ninh is asking for relevant authority’s approval to merge Chang Riec cultural-historic forest with Lo Go-Xa Mat national park.

The merger aims to improve the value and influence of the Lo Go-Xa Mat national park in bio-diversity protection, natural resource development and promotion of national special cultural-historic relic sites in the locality.

Along with facilitating management and restructuring of the forestry sector and focusing resources for the sustainable development of Lo Go-Xa Mat national park, the move also aims to help improve livelihood for rural and border communities.

Lo Go-Xa Mat park has a total area of 19,210 hectares, spanning over Tan Binh, Hoa Hiep, Than Tay and Thanh Binh communes in Tan Bien district. Meanwhile, the 10,812- hectare Chang Riec cultural-historic forest lies in Tan Lap and Thanh Bac communes in the same district. 

In the past, Chang Riec forest was a resistance base, home to the headquarters of several high-level agencies of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam and the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam during the war against the US. 

The merger is expected to promote the preservation and restoration of the local national special relic sites.

House of worship for victims of Son My massacre inaugurated

A house of worship dedicated to 504 civilians killed in Son My massacre was inaugurated in the central province of Quang Ngai on March 15.

Covering an area of 200 sq.m in Son My relic site in Quang Ngai city’s Tinh Khe commune, the house was built at a cost of 5.5 billion VND (241,500 USD).

The killings that occurred on March 16, 1968 in My Lai hamlet (now Son My village, Tinh Khe commune) prompted widespread outrage around the world. The massacre was also credited with advancing the end of the American War because it significantly undermined public support in the US for the war.          

Some 504 unarmed civilians in Tinh Khe commune were killed, mostly elderly villagers, women and children. Hundreds of houses, along with thousands of heads of cattle and poultry, and all food, were burned and destroyed.       

The Son My relic site welcomes more than 200,000 visitors per year, being the most-visited historical destination in the province.

On this occasion, Madison Quarkers Inc presented 600 scholarships to students in Tinh Khe and neighbouring communes. The charitable organisation was founded by Mike Boehm, an American veteran in the Vietnam war, who has worked to raise funds for poor women and children in Quang Ngai province and Son My in particular.

Requiem for Gac Ma fallen soldiers held in Czech Republic

A requiem in commemoration of 64 soldiers who sacrificed their lives to defend Vietnam’s Gac Ma (Johnson South) Reef 30 years ago took place in the Czech Republic on March 14.

Speaking at the event, head of the organising board Nguyen Dinh Hoi, who is a war veteran, emotionally recalled history of the Gac Ma battle. He spoke highly of the soldiers’ fighting spirit and sacrifice to safeguard Vietnam’s sovereignty over seas and islands.

The requiem showed the Vietnamese community’s deep gratitude to the fallen combatants, Hoi noted.

Buddhist followers in the Czech Republic carried out the requiem with prayer and candle lighting rituals in tribute to the soldiers.

On the sidelines of the event, a music show was organised along with a fund-raising programme to collect money for the construction of houses for the soldiers’ families.  

Participants also took part in a film screening and map exhibition on Vietnam’s sovereignty over its seas and islands. They signed their names on a letter of petition sent to the European Parliament and a letter of protest to the Chinese Embassy in the Czech Republic, requesting China to end activities that escalate tension in the East Sea, to abide by international law, and to settle disputes in the East Sea through peaceful measures.

Maneephan continues winning at Bình Dương cycling event

Jutatip Maneephan of Thailand secured a second stage win in a row yesterday after she finished first in stage eight of the International Women’s Cycling Bình Dương Television Tournament.

On Wednesday she took the seventh stage and yesterday’s win was her fourth at the annual event.

Maneephan won the 120-km stage from Phan Thiết City of Bình Thuận Province to Vũng Tàu City, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province with a time of 3hrs 09.04.

Bùi Thị Quỳnh of Biwase Bình Dương came second and Phạm Lê Xuân Hồng of Gạch Phân Bón Con Voi third.

After eight stages, Nguyễn Thị Thi (Gạo Hạt Ngọc Trời An Giang) led the tour with 20:16.10. Miyoko Karami (Biwase Bình Dương) and Nguyễn Thị Thu Mai (Gạo Hạt Ngọc Trời An Giang) were second and third, respectively.

The team ranking saw Biwase Bình Dương on top. They were followed by Gạo Hạt Ngọc Trời An Giang and the Netherland team.

The final 115-km stage today is from Vũng Tàu to Bình Dương.  

5 arrested for stealing batteries

Five men were arrested in the southern province of Kiên Giang for stealing batteries from local network service providers, local police said on Thursday.

The men admitted that they had broken into local base transceiver stations at night 18 times and stolen more than 300 batteries. They then sold the batteries to scrap dealers for hundreds of millions of đồng.

The value of the stolen batteries is estimated at some VNĐ1 billion (US$44,000), according to the police.

The arrested men are Trần Thanh Phi, 25; Nguyễn Văn Siêu, 21; Huỳnh Chí Dũng, 39; Lê Công Quí, 45; and Lê Công Nguyên, 43. All are residents of Rạch Giá City.

Further investigation is underway.